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The ART Grand Prix driver hit the front of the field with just five minutes remaining in the afternoon session, narrowly ahead of Arthur Pic. Rapax driver Sergey Sirotkin ended the morning session top after the sand and dust slowed the majority of runners by an average of two seconds per lap compared to their afternoon times.

Sauber test and reserve driver Raffaele Marciello finished the day third in the faster afternoon session while morning topper Sirotkin and Marco Sorensen rounded out the top five.

Pre-season title favourite and Matsushita's team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne ended the day sixth with MP Motorsport pair Daniel De Jong and Sergio Canamasas just behind while Rio Haryanto and Artem Markelov completed the top ten.